AKRON, Ohio — A new program designed to prevent violence before it happens has a new partner alongside Akron officials according to Mayor Shammas Malik.

In the latest development, the city is partnering with Minority Behavioral Health Group (MBHG) to cultivate, hire and train the team set to interact directly with residents at-risk for violence. Akron City Council approved the partnership at a meeting earlier this week for $185,000, which will be used to hire and train the street team.

What You Need To Know

  • The city is partnering with Minority Behavioral Health Group (MBHG) to cultivate, hire and train the team set to interact directly with residents at-risk for violence

  • The pilot program was created with help from Rehoboth Project and its founder, Juard Barnes, providing training and technical assistance

  • Working on a Cure Violence/Street Outreach Model, the program aims to "treat violence like a disease" and stop its spread

  • According to the city, the team will comprise three credible messengers to perform the various roles

“I’m excited to get the Street Team Pilot Program up and running as we work together with our community and partners to cut down on gun violence in our city,” said Malik in a news release. “This past weekend, our city yet again felt the impacts of senseless gun violence as we lost three residents in separate shooting incidents. As our Akron Police Department works diligently to solve these crimes, we are also looking to address violence like this before it happens. With the Street Team Pilot Program, we are aiming to take a proactive approach to addressing gun violence, in addition to holding violent offenders accountable for their actions. Programs like these are becoming a growing trend across the nation due to their positive results, and I’m looking forward to seeing how this approach can work here in Akron.” 

The pilot program was created with help from the Rehoboth Project and its founder, Juard Barnes, providing training and technical assistance. The project will also have an evaluation process to determine the program’s future growth. Overall, the program aims to blend different elements of street outreach, violence interruption, case management, community navigation, mental health and data analysis from a public health approach.

The pilot period will run for 18 months with hiring and on-boarding of members beginning now. MBHG will hire, vet and employ all members. After the 18 months, MBHG and the city will evaluate its effectiveness and determine its next steps.

Working on a Cure Violence/Street Outreach Model, the program aims to “treat violence like a disease” and stop its spread. Through the Cure Violence, the theory is the possibility to accomplish this through interruption. Results have been highly promising according to evaluations, such as shootings dropping between 40% to 70% alongside a rise in employment opportunities and citizen-police relationships.

“We are delighted to partner with the City of Akron and various community agencies in the Credible Messengers initiative, adding another essential layer to address the pressing issue of safety and reduce violence in our neighborhoods,” said CEO of Minority Behavior Health Group, Pastor Jeffrey Dennis in a news release. “This collaboration is a powerful opportunity to bring together expertise and resources, focusing on prevention, intervention and impactful solutions. By building a network of support and equipping individuals with the skills and certifications needed, we are committed to creating a safer Akron, where every community member feels empowered, supported, and connected. We realize change will not happen overnight, but our commitment through collaboration is to stay consistent, doing our part to make our communities safer places.”

The roles of the Street Team include:

  • Street Outreach: Individuals with lived experience (referred to as credible messengers) who are trusted to mediate conflict in the community

  • Violence Interruption: Trained personnel to identify and intervene before conflicts escalate

  • Case Management: Professionals to provide support and connect services to those who need them

  • Community Navigation: Residents trained to serve as liaisons between service providers and community members

According to the city, the team will comprise three credible messengers to perform the various roles. A mental health clinician will also work directly with the team to prevent burnout, re-traumatization, and provide services to those affected by gun violence.

“Credible messengers bring significant lived experience to leverage their roles as peacemakers,” said Public Safety Strategist Tony Ingram in a news release. “They engage those at highest risk of being injured or producing violence and they provide a proactive, culturally competent, and coordinated health response alongside traditional law enforcement responses to violence. Many cities across the country that have implemented credible messenger programs have seen a reduction in gun crime. I believe the same can happen in Akron.”

Rehoboth Project will train the credible messengers for intervention, outreach, data collection and documentation. The project is also responsible for creating a research plan identifying Key Performance Indicators and methods of collecting data.